What's Jack London Square Like?

The ramshackle wooden wharves of Jack London's day are gone for good, and so are the lawless men who worked on them. The only boats around are trim little yachts, sailboats and ferries; the real business of the Port of Oakland is down the estuary, where the giant cranes are. But at Jack London Square the lights still shine on the water, the island of Alameda looks close enough to swim to, and it's easy to forget that you're only two minutes from the semis rumbling down I-880.

Jack London Square was originally developed in the '70s into a Ghirardelli Square-type tourist attraction and is in the middle of further changes, with freshly renovated public spaces and a constantly evolving commercial life. The layers of different eras and uses give the area a lot of its appeal; it's a place where '50s coffee shops, turn-of-the- century warehouses, and recent far-out architecture coexist in heterogeneous companionship. The historic waterfront location is currently undergoing a transformation that will bring new office spaces, and a future public market, to the area's growing number of restaurants and retailers.

The restaurants range from fast food to elegant, the music scene is hopping, and with all the bars you can party from one end of the Square to the other. It's as if, somehow, the spirit of those old sailors survives, making everyone on their old turf belly up to the bar and ask for what they like best.

The waterfront's lively atmosphere and convenience to Oakland airport and the downtowns of both Oakland and SF make it a good place for out-of-towners to stay. Ferries from the Square go to downtown SF, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf and, during the summer, Angel Island. But there's plenty to see right at the Square.

Sights & Culture in Jack London Square

Alameda/Oakland Ferry : Daily service to SF - both the Ferry Building downtown and the questionable tourist magnets of Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf - and Alameda. There's service to Angel Island from May through October. On Friday afternoons, the boat becomes a pleasure cruise, complete with music. Ticket price includes free validated parking and transfers to AC Transit and Muni. ( website )

Amtrak Station : What the hell! Just hop on that train and go to Sacramento -- it beats sitting in the parking lot known as Interstate 80. Nice clean new station, and acres of parking where your car and its brakes can relax. The trains of course go all over, not just to Sac'town. 245 2nd Ave., (800) 872-7245. ( website )

California Canoe & Kayak : In addition to selling everything your favorite canoer or kayaker could possibly want, CC&K rents kayaks and canoes. What better way to immerse yourself in Oakland's maritime history than by capsizing in the middle of the Estuary? CC&K's classes (mandatory for sea kayak rental) might help keep you from getting dunked. They also offer all sorts of trips, from sea kayaking to whale watching to natural history to adventures in Alaska. 409 Water St., Oakland, 510-893-7833. ( website )

Jack London's Cabin : A remote cabin in Alaska was authenticated by a handwriting expert from Oakland PD's forgery detail as having notes in London's hand on the ceiling. The cabin was dismantled, and dragged out of the wilderness. A city in Canada got a cabin made with half of the logs; the other half-cabin has been in Jack London Square since 1970, right by Heinold's, looking puny and more than a little out of place. London did go to the Yukon for the gold rush, and his experiences in the frozen north show up in a lot of his fiction, so it's a nice commemorative attempt; let's say an A+ for effort. Water St. at Webster, Oakland.

Jack's Night Market: On Fridays once a month, Jack London Square is transformed into a lively bazaar with booths from local artisans and farms. (Website)

Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) : Though there are monthly displays of children's art, "museum" doesn't begin to do justice to the children's art juggernaut that is MOCHA. Children can make art on site at "open studios"; MOCHA also sponsors programs to bring artists everywhere kids might be, from schools to shelters. There are summer camps and teacher training programs; a child can even have a birthday party at the MOCHA facility. Volunteer opportunities abound. There's also a store selling art-related stuff for kids -- strangely, the aisles are so crowded that a stroller can't get through. 560 Second St., (510) 465-8770. ( Website )

Oakland Metro Opera House : A very small, intimate theater, home to the Oakland Opera Theater . It's a much-needed venue in the area, and it's available for rent by other performing artists. Of course, since it's near the waterfront, it's got a full bar. 201 Broadway, Oakland, 510-763-1146.

U.S.S. Potomac : FDR's "Floating White House," which he used to escape the muggy Washington summers, has been lovingly restored as a museum to Roosevelt, the New Deal and the WW II years. It's cheap to take the tour while the yacht is berthed; the history cruises (warmer months only) are pretty pricey, but worth it for that Presidential feeling. Elvis was another famous owner. (510) 627-1502 (24 hour info), (510) 627-1215. ( website )

Restaurants in Jack London Square

Chop Bar: A neighborhood favorite that transitions between breakfast, lunch and dinner seamlessly. The crowd varies, but expect a wait at dinnertime -- fortunately, you can whet your appetite with one of the seasonal house cocktails. (Chronicle review / Website)

Everett and Jones Barbecue: The only real barbecue place I know of with actual tables to sit at. And that barbeque is real; the sauces are delicious and the meat is tender. Medium sauce or milder is recommended for those not afflicted with capsicum testosterone syndrome (the need to prove your manhood by eating chili peppers until your lips fall off). Side dishes are the usual, and the flourescent lemonade is a little scary. The restaurant is spacious and light, though often crowded, and it's in a gorgeous restored brick building. The homey decor includes tables made of doors, flowers in coffee pots and thermoses, and other friendly touches. Live music Saturday nights. 126 Broadway, Oakland, 510-663-2350.

The Forge Pizza: Pizzas are crisped up in a wood-fire oven and go well with one of the many beers on tap. (Website)

Hahn's Hibachi : This outpost of the local chain is a great place to pick up some tasty barbeque or a big bowl of noodles. The atmosphere is basic (including two TVs turned to the soaps during lunch) and the service won't make you want to move in, but the food is tasty and the prices are some of the most reasonable at the Square. 63 Jack London Square, Oakland, 510-628-0717.

Il Pescatore : With windows on the water and that mouthwatering smell of garlic, butter, olive oil and seafood drifting out, Il Pescatore is hard to resist. It has only been there since 1981, but it has the feel of a classic Italian-American seafood restaurant from an earlier era. The Italians who opened it are fortunately unafraid of new-world dishes like Shrimp Louie. Opera nights on the last Thursday of the month. 57 Jack London Square, Oakland, 510-465-2188. ( website )

Lungomare: This beautiful restaurant, with waterfront views, is serious about its "from-scratch" mantra, making pasta, baking pastries and butchering whole pigs in-house. (Website

Third Street Grind : Very homey, with real furniture and substantial food as well as the usual café beverages. 464 Third St., Oakland, 510-832-JAVA (5282).

Urban Blend Cafe : A great neighborhood café. A big room with some comfy couches for sipping your java at almost any time of the day or night -- it's open 6 am to midnight daily. 333 Broadway (at Fourth), Oakland, 510-444-4648.

Yoshi's Japanese Restaurant and World Class Jazz House : The jazz is the main attraction, but that doesn't mean Yoshi's isn't a very nice restaurant. The restaurant is calm and lovely, and the food is very tasty. It is a little pricey, but what the hell; the sushi rice is done right. See also "Nightlife," below, for the jazz club. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, 510-238-9200. ( website )

Shopping in Jack London Square

California Canoe & Kayak : See "Sights and Culture" above.

Cost Plus World Market : Giant import store with everything from dishes to furniture to food to little useless things made out of wicker. The food section is huge, with lots of seasonal tchotchkes and things to eat, and the wine store has some great bargains. 101 Clay St., (510) 834-4440. ( website )

East Bay Restaurant Supply : A wholesale source for restaurants, hotels and casinos as far away as Nevada, EBRS will also sell to average Janes and Joes. Though some things, such as four-foot-tall whisks and refrigerated salad bar tables, probably aren't too useful for home cooking, there's lots that is. Some stuff is semi-disposable and cheap; other stuff is so durable that it's actually more expensive than the kitchen-store equivalents. Highlights include those oval cast-iron skillets you use for gambas al ajillo and the wooden trays to nestle them in; $3 crystal wine glasses; all sorts of diner china; big bowls for parties; easy-clean restaurant high chairs; woks a yard wide (OK, maybe not so useful); and kitchen basics from measuring cups to corkscrews. Plus, there's a ten-foot stuffed polar bear against one wall! 49 Fourth St., Oakland, 510-465-4300 or 510-232-4652.

Farmers' Market : Every Sunday, 9-2, year round. A nice small market with everything you could want - lots of organic fruits and veggies, flowers, plants, jams, etc. The prices are reasonable; it isn't one of those markets where everything is three times as much as it is in the store. Foot of Broadway. ( website )

Markus Supply: An enormous hardware store that has been around forever. They have what you need. 625 Third St., Oakland, 510-832-6532. (website)

Miette: The same beautiful baked goods and other sweet treats locals have come to love at the San Francisco locations. (Website)

Mr. Espresso : This is the only coffee some of the pickiest restaurants in the Bay Area will serve. Why? Because it's soooo good. They use only the highest quality beans, roasted using oak wood right here on Third Street. This family-owned business is mainly wholesale, but I'm telling you about it because, one, you can walk into the warehouse and get a mail-order form for the coffee; and, two, they do sell all sorts of espresso machines to the public. They import and distribute little ones for your kitchen counter (the Faema Family line) or big ones for that café you're opening in the garage. Call first to make sure a salesperson is available. 696 Third St., Oakland, 510-287-5200. ( Web site )

Peerless Coffee Retail Store : An Oakland institution since 1924, Peerless still roasts most of their coffee behind the retail store (the rest is roasted across the street). You can get a cup or a pound of coffee, bulk spices including blends such as pumpkin pie or mulling spice, tea, and all sorts of coffee- or tea- related items from coffee makers to coffee keychains at the retail store. Hot roasted peanuts, too. It's sort of fun to look at the coffee-roasting equipment through the window behind the counter; but the real fun will come when they finish moving the machines around and offer tours again. Call for info. 260 Oak St., Oakland, 1-800-310-KONA. ( website )

Quantity Postcards : Purveyor of all kinds of picture postcards, with an emphasis on campy images: bowling alleys, UFOs, cowboys and old print ads. You'll also find vintage cards, antique Valentine images and art cards. Watch your pocketbook, though. After 20 or so cards, you really rack up a good total on the old-fashioned cash register. 721 Broadway, (510) 268 9933.

Tin Plate Junction : Hidden away on Fourth St. far from other retail businesses is a fabulous palace of toy and miniature trains. For those who don't know, "toy" trains are for children; "miniature" or "scale" trains are for grownups, and can be very serious indeed. Tin Plate Junction buys, sells and trades new and vintage trains, some of which are truly astounding. You'll find cars carrying automobiles from several different eras, sleek locomotives, old-fashioned engines, freight cars looking as industrial as the real thing, and pretty much anything else you can think of that runs on wheels and a track. A couple of miniature trains are all set up and (if you're lucky) you can watch them go. George's Train Service (trains and repairs) shares the space. 691 Fourth St., Oakland, 510-444-4780

Nightlife in Jack London Square

The Fat Lady : See "Restaurants," above. The bar has a reputation as a pick-up spot. The drinks are really big, and run to things like White Tigers as well as more normal beverages. 201 Washington St., Oakland, 510-465-4996.

Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon : Made from the timbers of a whaling ship, this bar is one of the few spots in Jack London Square with a real connection to the writer who gave the Square its name. You aren't going to be able to escape the history while you're there, either: if you can get out without someone showing you the picture of Jack London, age ten, face down in an encyclopedia right where you're sitting, you're really lucky. Heinold's has been right where it is now since 1883, as the wharf and the world have changed around it; it's sort of a funny feeling to sit there and think about it. And think about it you may; the combination of the small, dark, memorabilia-encrusted room with a few beers and the steeply slanted floors could make anyone philosophical. 56 Jack London Square, Oakland, 510-839-6761. ( Chronicle Article / website )

Jack London Cinema : This multiplex showing first run flicks is one of the forces making the Square bustle at night. Reclining seats with drink cups make it a pleasantly hedonistic movie-going experience. Beware the ticket lines, especially on opening weekends. 100 Washington, Oakland, 510-433-1320. ( Readers' Choice 2000 / website )

Kimball's Carnival : From the Kimball's jazz club folks comes a huge venue devoted mainly (but not entirely) to Latin dancing and billiards. To say that the pool room is very big is an understatement; there are 18 tables. The dance floor is on the same scale, with 6,000 square feet for your hip, hot, happening feet. Live music often; salsa lessons Wednesdays and Saturdays, comedy night Thursdays, DJ Fridays. The restaurant has full and bar menus. Look sharp; there's a dress code. 522 Second St, Oakland, 510-444-6979. ( website )

Merchant's Saloon : This is an excellent dive bar. Hey, if they think a bar serving no food has anything to do with lunch, they aren't fooling around. Depending on when you go, you may find yourself meeting the curious stares of locals (it's in the heart of the produce district), or weaving among hipsters and other seekers of the best in dives. There's pear cider on tap, which should tip you off that it's been discovered. It's still thick in atmosphere, however; the warehouse-like pool room has odd stairs going nowhere, and is covered with graffiti novelettes up to and including the rafters, and has a real street sign instructing you to "Honk for Lumper," whatever that means. As the sign behind the bar says, "Tipping is not just a city in China." 401 Second St., Oakland, 510-465-8032.

Moe's Jack London Bar : Dark red vinyl banquettes, sports on the TV and a killer jukebox. While some of the other bars around are more exotic or distinctive, this may be the one you want to call home. One pool table, no crowds. 444 Embarcadero West, Oakland, 510-832-6637.

Yoshi's World Class Jazz House and Japanese Restaurant (see also under Restaurants): Top-name acts and reasonably reasonable ticket prices. The food isn't quite at the same level as the music - but then the quality of the bookings sets a nearly unreachable standard. As they themselves say, it's world class. The concert and dining rooms are separate, but you can have sushi and appetizers while listening (what a treat!). 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, 510-238-9200. ( Chronicle Review / website )